This disclosure relates to compositions and uses of caged proteins substituted with a photon decomposing chemical structure wherein the photon decomposing chemical structure is substituted through a linking group to a hydrophilic polymer. In certain embodiments, the caged protein is a proteinaceous agent such as an anticancer agent, cytokine, interleukin, fragment, or fusion thereof.

Provided herein are ex vivo methods for the expansion of cord blood-derived natural killer cells and methods of their use. Examples of embodiments include stimulating mononuclear cells from cord blood in the presence of antigen presenting cells (APCs) and IL-2 and re-stimulating the cells with APCs to produce expanded NK cells. In specific embodiments, the method does not utilize human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching.

A method for increasing a lymphocyte count in a subject in need thereof including administering to the subject (i) a modified interleukin-7 of the following formula (I): A−IL-7 wherein A is an oligopeptide consisting of 1 to 10 amino acid residues, and the IL-7 is a polypeptide which is capable of binding to IL-7 receptor; or (ii) an interleukin-7 fusion protein comprising (a) the modified interleukin-7, (b) a second domain containing an oligopeptide having 1 to 10 amino acid residues consisting of methionine, glycine, or a combination thereof; and (c) a third domain which prolongs the half-life of the interleukin-7 fusion protein.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions for genetically modifying lymphocytes, for example T cells and/or NK cells, in shorter times than previously and/or in whole blood or a component thereof. In some embodiments a lymphodepletion filter assembly is used before or after forming a reaction mixture where lymphocytes are contacted with recombinant retroviral particles in a closed system, to genetically modify the lymphocytes.

The present disclosure provides a genetically modified, in vitro immune cell. The immune cell is genetically modified with one or more nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding: a) a chimeric polypeptide comprising: i) an antibody specific for a target antigen; and ii) a binding triggered transcriptional activator; and b) a cytokine or proliferation-inducing polypeptide that increases proliferation and/or activity of an effector immune cell, where the nucleotide sequence encoding the cytokine or proliferation-inducing polypeptide is operably linked to a transcriptional control element responsive to the transcriptional activator. The present disclosure provides compositions comprising the genetically modified, in vitro immune cell; and treatment methods comprising administration of the genetically modified, in vitro immune cell.

Dual receptor binding compounds comprising IL-2Rβ, IL-7Rα, and Rγc ligands, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the dual receptor binding compounds are disclosed. The dual receptor binding compounds can act as IL-2R and IL-7R agonists and are useful in treating cancer, viral diseases, autoimmune diseases, and inflammatory diseases.

The present disclosure provides methods for genetically modifying lymphocytes and methods for performing adoptive cellular therapy that include transducing T cells and/or NK cells. The methods can include inhibitory RNA molecule(s) and/or engineered signaling polypeptides that can include a lymphoproliferative element, and/or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), for example a microenvironment restricted biologic CAR (MRB-CAR). Additional elements of such engineered signaling polypeptides are provided herein, such as those that drive proliferation and regulatory elements therefor, as well as replication incompetent recombinant retroviral particles and packaging cell lines and methods of making the same. Numerous elements and methods for regulating transduced and/or genetically modified T cells and/or NK cells are provided, such as, for example, those including riboswitches, MRB-CARs, recognition domains, and/or pH-modulating agents.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for treating cancer in a subject. This involves administering an oncolytic virus containing a heterologous DNA sequence encoding one or more immunomodulatory and/or immunostimulatory polypeptide(s) of interest to the subject under conditions effective to enhance an anti-tumor immune response in the subject, and to treat cancer. It also relates to a method of enhancing the delivery to and distribution within a tumor mass of therapeutic viruses.

A protein heterodimer may include a first polypeptide chain and a second polypeptide chain different from the first polypeptide chain, wherein the first polypeptide chain includes IL12a and a first factor fused to IL12a, the second polypeptide chain includes IL12b and a second factor fused to IL12b, and the first factor and the second factor are each independently selected from a group consisting of: IL2, GMCSF, IL7, IL15, IL21, and FLT3L. Such protein heterodimers can be used for treating tumors.

The application provides non-viral vector, comprising an artificial immunosurveillance chimeric antigen receptor (AI-CAR) expression cassette flanked by two transposons or viral terminal repeats (IR), wherein the AI-CAR expression cassette comprises an inducible gene expression unit and a CAR expression unit.